When the main way to promote your brand was in the newspaper, the logo for your brand was probably created in black and white. It had to be appealing even when printed in the less expensive ad space of the black and white pages.
I cringe to admit that despite my training in newspapers, I start designing logos in color and then convert them to black and white. Thanks to vector art programs like Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer, doing the design in reverse is not a problem.
One thing that has not changed is the way I use color in a logo. I limit my pallet, like most graphic designers, to 3 colors. I have occasionally ventured into a tetrad color scheme for logos, but only if I can use colors in a logical way that helps to emphasize a symbol or character.
Other aspects of logo design that presume a designer will create in a limited pallet are color theory and color meaning. The science of color theory explains what your eye finds eye-catching. History, possibly as far back as cave drawings, demonstrates how our brains easily associate symbolic meaning with colors, helping to give emotional responses to the brand we’re viewing. These scientific and historical examples demand a brand stick with a limited color palette to create a clear brand story people will easily associate with.
An excellent example and a well-thought-out process goes to the design agency Roger for the Nickelodeon rebrand:
“Kids are all about trying everything out, so we wanted to make a brand that allowed for revisionism, randomness, and irreverence. That said, the design language needed consistency across every touchpoint of the Nickelodeon brand, from on-air to digital and social media to the product packaging and resort experiences, so we knew we needed a very accessible core to the visual identity.”
Braden Wheeler - Creative Directer at Roger
The color story of this global rebranding is impressive in its focus on using the single brand color - orange originally chosen in 1984 for the happiness and joy symbolism. Adding additional colors only in moderation and with the same tone and intensity in mind keeps this brand consistent not only in its core visual identity but also in the story projected for the brand.
If you’re picking your brand colors do research into the meaning behind color choices from both a symbolic point of view, as well as the science of what colors match well together for optimum visuals. Your brand will benefit from a carefully chosen color palette.
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